Method of and apparatus for filling containers with powder or other comminuted material



Aug. 22, 1939.

C F. CARTER METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH POWDE R on OTHER COMMINUTED MATERIAL Filed June 9, 1.938

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 5mm affer,

Aug. 22, 1939. c CARTER 2,170,469

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FILLING NTAINERS WITH POWDER OR OTHER COMMINUTED M RIAL Filed June 9, 1.938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 xx Q 6 w a 4 M a. W m Cw W 5 if FM a C. F. CARTER Aug'. 22, 1939.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH POWDER OR OTHER COMMINUTED MATERIAL Filed June 9, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 a. Carier Patented Aug. 22, 1939 PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FIILING CONTAINERS WITH POWDER OR OTHER COMMINUTED MATERIAL Clarence F. Carter, Danville, Ill.

Application June 9, 1938, Serial No. 212,841

zo'cialms. (cl. 226-116) This invention relates .to a vacuum method of the powder therein without any waste of the material or the formation of dust fumes during the filling operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a filling apparatus in which packing of the powder within the box or container is efiected by atmospheric prssure and in which the path of the air through the vacuum head is alternately reversed two or more times during each cycle of operation of the machine to effect automatic cleaning of the screens of said vacuum head as the boxes are filled.

A further object is to provide a powder filling machine including a rotating shaft having a plurality of cams mounted thereon and timed to automatically open and close a series of va1ves at predetermined intervals for governing the flow of air to and from the vacuum head during each cycle of operation of the machine.

The invention further provides a novel method or process of filling powder boxes which consists in first creating a vacuum within and around the box or container and through the screen on the left hand side of the filling head, thereby causing atmospheric pressure to force the mate-' rial from a source of supply into the box or container topartially fill and initially pack the material within the box, admitting air at atmospheric pressure to the filling head at said left hand screen, creating a vacuum through the screen and cutting oil! the vacuum to the filling head to permit release of the filled box preparatory to starting a new cycle of operation.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description, in which- Figure 1 is avertical sectional view of an'apparatus or machine used for carrying the method into effect, b

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the filling head and its associated parts,

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a similar view taken on the line 44 of Figure 2, I

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the timing disk or dial,

Figure 6 is a detail vertical sectional view illustrating a modified form of the invention, and

Figure '7 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 1-4 of Figure 6.

The improved apparatus and method formmg the subject-matter of the present invention. 'is especially adapted for automatically filling boxes, cans and other containers with any kind of comminuted material, such. as tooth powder, corn starch, baking powder,dentifrice and the like, and in carrying the invention into effect, I provide a machine or apparatus comprising a table or platform 5 having an opening 6 formed therein and in which is mounted for vertical reciprocatory movement a cylindrical casing or shroud, indicated at I. The upper end of the casing l is normally open while the lower end '30 thereof is provided with a reduced tubular extension 8 which is slidably mounted in a supporting bracket 9 forming a part of the frame of the machine. The lower end of the tubular extension 8 isthreaded for the reception of a correspondingly threaded closure plug Hi, there being spaced ears ll formed on said closure plug and between-which is pivotaliy mounted, at if,

.a hand or foot lever l3 forelevating and retracting the casing or shroud I. Slidably mount- 40 ed within the tubular extension 8 is a carrier or support It for the box or other container, indicated at ii. The .box carrier I4 is provided with a fiat perforated head l6 and a reduced tubular member or shank II which is slidably mounted within the tubular member 8 of the shroud l, as best shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. The tubular member or shank i1 is provided with'one or more lateral openings l8 and fitted within said tubular member is a coiled 5o spring l9, the lower end'ofwhich rests against the closure plug l0 while the upper end thereof bears against a pin 20 extending transversely through the member II in spaced relation to the perforated head thereof. The perforated. head or support 2| against which the box or container i5 is adapted to bear for the purpose of centering said box immediately beneath the filling head, indicated at 22. The filling head 22 consists of a cylindrical box-like structure having its lower end normally open and divided by a transverse partition 22 to form independent compartments 2d and 26, each having its open end covered by a strip of very fine screening or other foraminous material, indicated at 2B, The open side of the filling head'ls provided with a circumferential groove 21 in which is seated an outer yieldable gasket 28 for engagement with the adjacent upper edge of the casing or shroud I and spaced from the outer, gasket is a smaller inner yieldable gasket or washer 29 fitted in a correspondingly shaped seating groove, as shown, and against which the upper edge of the box or container is adapted to rest so as to form an airtight joint between the parts when filling said container with powder or other comminuted material. The filling head 22 is provided with a central depending annular flange 30 formed integral with thepartition 23 and having its inner wall threaded, at 3i, for engagement with a correspondingly threaded closure cap 32. The closure cap 32 is formed with a series of openings or perforations 83 through which powder or other comminuted material is fed from a hopper 34 into the box or other container to be filled. The perforated closure cap 32 is provided with a circumscrlbing lateral lip 35 which serves to clamp the inner edges of the screens 26 against the lower face of the flange 30, the outer edges of the screens fitting within-the seating groove of the inner gasket 29 and being held against accidental displacement by said inner gasket. By securing the screens 28 to the filling head in this manner they may be readily removed and replaced when necemary. The inner wall of the perforated closure cap 32 is inclined to conform to the inclination of the walls of the hopper u,

the latter being retained in position on the filling head by means of a clamping plate 36 secured to the top of the filling head by bolts or similar fastening devices 31. Threaded in the filling head at diametrically opposite points thereon are nipples 32 which communicate with the compartments 2 and 25 and through which air is exhausted from or introduced within said filling head during the filling operation, as will be more fully describedhereinafter.

Disposed adjacent the table or platform 5 is the mechanism for automatically controlling the fiow of air to and from the filling head and creating a vacuum in said filling head, said mechanism comprising an engine block or casting 39 provided with an intermediate horizontal passage 40 having a valve seat ll for engagement with a valve 42 which latter controls a port 43 leading to a; vacuum pump of any standard construction. An opening 44 leading to the atmosphere is formed in the top of the block or casting and the admission ofv air through said opening is controlled by a valve 45. Valves 48 and 41 are also mounted in the block or casting is, said valves cooperating with ports 48 communi-' eating with the passage 40, as best shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. The several valves are provided with depending stems I! having terminal rollers or tappets 5i mounted on their lower ends for engagement with a plurality of timing cams 52 seemed to a revolving shaft 88. The shaft 58 may be driven from an engine or 40 into a tube or conductor 63.

is provided with an upstanding segmental rest other suitable source of power and secured to the outer end of said shaft is a timing disk or indicator 54 having indicia represented thereon corresponding to the different cycles of operation of the machine, as best shown in Figure 5 of the drawings. An indicator rod 55 is secured to'the block or casting 39 and is provided at its outer end with a. depending pointer 56 which cooperates with the indicia on the dial 54 and indicates the positions of the diiierent valves when the machine is in operation. Suitable springs 51 surround the valve stems to hold the valves against their seats. 1

Threaded in the block or casting 39 above the valve is a nipple 68 to which is secured one end of a flexible hose or conductor ",the other end 'of which is secured to the nipple 28 leading to the left hand compartment of the filling head. A similar air conductor or hosetll has one end thereof connected with a nipple arranged above the valve 41 and its other end connected with a nipple 6| leading to the interior of the tubular member 8. A valve 2 is also provided, said valve controlling the fiow of air from the passage One end of the conductor 63 is secured to a nipple arranged above the valve 62 while the other end thereof is connected with the nipple 38 leading to the compartment on the right hand side of the filling head.

In operation, an initial downward pressure on the lever or other mechanical means II will elevate the box carrier until the perforated head thereof is on a level with the upper surface of the table or platform and in which position the box to be filled is placed thereon with the wall of the box bearing against the rest or support 2!. A further downward pressure on the lever l3 or other mechanical means will then elevate the casing or shroud I together with the box so as to cause the upper edge of the shroud 1 to contact with the outer gasket 28 and the upper edge of the box or container to contact with the inner gasket 29, thereby forming an air-tight joint between the parts. when the box is in this position, the pointer 58 is on the zero mark on the timing device 54. Rotation of the shaft 58 then opens valve 62 and valves 46 and 41, thereby causing a suction through the conductors 58 and 6d around the outside of the box and within said box so as to exhaust the air and create a vacuum in the box. The difference in pressure produced by the vacuum thus created will cause the atmospheric pressure exerted on the material within the hopper to feed or force said material into the box or container ii to partially fill the same and effect the initial packing of thematerial within the box, the air'being pulled out through the 'screen 26 on the left hand side of the filling head during this operation. The valves remain in this. position for one hundred and five degrees of the cycle and at this point the screen through which the air is being drawn becomes partially clogged with powder. The valve 42 is then closed and the valve I! opened to the atmosphere which allows the conductors and 60 to become filled with air at atmospheric pressure. This position is held for thirty degrees at which time valves 45 and it are closed and valves 42 and 62 opened, thus creating a vacuum through the conductor 63 and within the compartment on the right hand side of the filling head and within the conductor 80 which still communicates with the outside of the box, thereby drawing sufilcient material from the hopper toicompletelyfill the boxand eiiect a further packing of the material within said box- During this cycle of operationiresh air is pulled through the conductor 59 and the screen in the lefthand compartment of the filling head so as to'thoroughly clean said screen. This position is held i'or sixty-five degrees of the cycle at'which time valve 42is closed and valve 45 is opened allowing atmospheric pressure to rush in through the conductors 60 and 63, thereby equalizing the pressure and permitting the carrier to be lowered and the filled box removed. This position is held for forty-five degrees at which time valves 41, i2 and 45 are closed in preparation of starting the operation all over again at three hundred and sixty degrees. When the operation is started for filling the next box, the screen in the compartment on the right hand side of the filling head is cleaned when pulling the vacuum on the leift hand side of the filling head, as willtbe readily understood. The admission of air under atmospheric pressure to the filling head supplies the necessary air for cleaning the screens by reversing, the direction of fiow of air through said;

screens. It will thus be seen that during the filling operation, the material is deposited within the container first on one side thereof and then on the other so that a progressive filling of said container is effected. T

In Figures 6 and '7 of the drawings, there is illustrated a modified form of closure for the supply hopper, this form of the device being adaptedforuse when heavy or'relatively coarse material is used. In the modified construction.

with a single slit, said diaphragm may, be formed with a plurality of intersecting slits. The construction of the closure injFigure 6 is such that by removing the pe'riorated closure 32 shown in Figure 2 oi"thia drawings, the closure shown in Figure 6 may be ,readily"threaded, into the cen-- tral depending flange of the filling head, as will be readily understood. Incases where the powder or other materialislof a sticky or gummy nature,the valve 45 leading, to the atmosphere is disconnected rotherwi'se rendered inoperative and a valve 68 is then brought into, operation, in place of thevalve 45. I'hisgValVe 66 controls the admission of air throughaport 51 leading to an airlcompressor of .any suitable construction so that, when thevalve 66 is opened, the compressed :air will thoroughly clean .the screensin the compartments of the filling head. The valves 45 and 66 are both mounted in the block or casting 39 and; are selectively used according to the nature of the material being fed into the containers.

When. metal cans or containers of. a non -porous nature are being filled, it isnotnecessary to exhaust theair from around the outside of the can during the filling operation the. vacuum created within the can being-sufficient to exhaust the air therefrom and ,Ieed the material from the hopper in ,the manner previously stated.

While there is shown and described but a single to accommodate boxes or containers oi difierent heights. It will,furthermore, be understood that the mechanical construction oi the apparatus may 'be changed or varied to suit difl'erent conditions of use, it being the intention, to cover any mechanismcapable of carrying into effect the new and novel method herein defined for filling boxes or containers with comminuted material.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The method oifilling containers with com.- minuted material which consists in placing a container in position to receive the material, exhausting air from within the container through a portion of a screening medium, andsubjecting the material to the action of air at atmospheric pressure to feed and pack the material within said container and clean accumulated material from another portion of said screening medium.

2. The method offilling containers with powder which consists in placing a container in position to receive the powder, exhausting .air from within the container through a portion of a screening medium and at the same time exhausting air from around said container, and simultaneously admitting air at atmospheric pressure to the powder to feed and pack' the material within said container and clean accumulated powder from another portion of said screening medium.

3. Themethod of filling containers with comcontainer in positon to receive the, material from a filling head and alternately exhausting air from and admitting air at atmospheric pressure to the container through a screening medium at the opposite sides of the head to fill the container with said material and alternately clean different portions of the screening medium of any material'adhering thereto.

4. The method rof filling containers with comminuted material which consists, in placing a container beneath aiilling head having [independent screened compartments, and successively exhausting air from and admitting .air, at atmospheric pressure to thecontainer through the,

.minutedj material which'consists in placing a screen of one compartment ,and then through the screen of another cornpartmeni tt fillthe container with said material and alternately clean said screens ofv any material adhering thereto.

.5. The method of filling containers with comminuted rr ateriarwhich,consistsjinv placing an emptylcontainer beneath, a filling head having independent screened compartmentsand a supply hopper, and successively exhausting air from and admitting air at atmospheric pressurealternately to the container through thejlscreens of said compartments to fill the.container with said ,ma-, terial and effect alternatecleaning of the screens of 'said compartments. a

6. .The method of filling containers, with eomminuted material which consists ,in placing. an empty container beneatha filling head having independent screened compartments and-,a supfply hopper, exhausting air from. the container through the screen of 1 one compartment and around and within the container to feed the material from the hopper into said container, admitting air at atmosphericpre'ssure to the filling head at said screen to supply air for withdrawal through the screen-i'or cleaning the same, and admitting air at atmospheric pressure through the screenof the other compartment in alternate relation to the actionotthe air in the firstmentioned. compartment to clean said screen.

'7. The method of filling containers with comminuted material which consists in placing a container in position to receive the material from a filling head, moving the container into air-tight engagement with said head, successively exhausting air from and admittingair at atmospheric pressure to the container through a screening medium at one side of the head and then at the other to fill-the container with said material and alternately clean difierent portions of the screening medium of any material adhering thereto, and subsequently moving the container out of engagement with the head.

8. The method of filling containers with comminuted material which consists in placing an empty container beneath a filling head having independent screened compartments, moving the container into air-tight engagement with said head, successively exhausting air from the container and through the screen of one compartment to feed the material from the head into the container and then admitting air at atmospheric pressure to said screen to clean the same,

successively exhausting air from the container through the screen 01' the other compartment and admitting airat atmospheric pressure through said screen to clean the same, and withdrawing the filled container from engagement with the head. a

9. 'The method of filling containers with comminuted material'which consists in placing an empty container beneath a filling head having independent screened compartments, exhausting air from withinandaround the container and through the screen of one compartment to partially fill the container with said material and eifect an initial packing oi the material therein, admitting air to the filling head at said screen, exhausting air from the container through the screen of the other compartment to completely fill the container with said material and efi'ect a further packing of said material within the container and simultaneously pulling fresh air through the first-mentioned screen to clean the same. and admitting air tothe last-mentioned compartment for the purpose of cleaning the screen thereof when a vacuum is created'in the first-mentioned compartment.

10. A machine for filling containers with comminuted material including a support, a carrier mounted for reciprocation on the support and adapted to receive a container, a filling head in position to deliver material into the container, air conductors communicating with the interior of the filling head, valves controlling the passage of air through the conductors, means for producing a vacuum in the filling head, a revolving shaft,

and means carried by the shaft for actuating the,

valves to successively create a vacuum in said filling head and admit air at atmospheric pressure thereto.

11. A machine for filling containers with comminuted material including a support, a carrier mounted for reciprocation on the support and adapted to receive a container, a filling head in position to deliver the material into the container and provided with independent compartments, a

screen in each compartment, air conductors courmunicating with said compartments, a supply .hopper disposed between the compartments,

12. A machine for filling containers with do minuted material including a support. a carrier movably mounted on the support and adapted to receive a container, a filling head in positionto deliver material into the container and provided with a screen, air conductors communicating with the interior oi! the filling head on opposite sides thereof, and meansfor producing a vacuum in the container through the filling head and subsequently admitting air to the head for clearing the screen.

13. A machine for filling containers with comminuted material including asupport, a moveable carriermounted on the support and adapted to receive a container, a filling head in position to deliver material into the container and-provided with independent compartments each having a screen, means for moving the carrier to force the container in airtight engagement with the filling head, an air conductor communicating with each compartment, and means for controlling the air through said conductors to successively create a vacuum in the container through the screen of one compartment and admit air through said screen and then successively create a vacuum through the screen or the other compartment and admit air thereto.

14. A machine for filling containers with comminuted material including a support, a shroud mounted for reciprocation through the support, a carrier slidably mounted within theshroud and adapted to receive a container, a filling head having independent screened compartments, means for successively moving the container and shroud in air-tight engagement with the filling head an air conductor communicating with each compartment, and means for reversing the path of air from the conductors alternately through said screens.

15. A machine for filling containers with comminuted material including a support, a filling head disposed adjacent the support and provided with independent screened compartments, inner and outer gaskets carried by the filling head, a shroud mounted for vertical movement within the support, a hollow carrier siidably mounted within the shroud and provided with a V perforated head having a rest, adapted to engage a container, said carrier being provided with an opening. communicating with the interior of the shroud, an air conductor connected with each compartment, an air conductor connected wth the interior of the carrier, means for successively elevating the container and shroud into airtight engagement with said gaskets, and means for controlling the fiow 01' air through said conconnected with said flange and defining indeagainst the adjacent screening material, a hop- 1 per carried by the filling head and communicating with the feeding closure, means for supporting a container in air-tight engagement with the filling head, an air conductor communicating with each compartment,and means for controlling the flow of air through said conductors to said filling head.

1'7. A filling head for feeding comminuted material into containerscomprising a body por tion having independent screened compartments and a centrally disposed internally threaded flange, and a perforated closure head engaging the threaded walls of the flange.

18. A filling head for feeding comminuted material into containers comprising a body portion having independent compartments opening through the bottom thereof and provided with a centrally disposed interiorly threaded flange, there being seating grooves formed inthe bottom of said body portion, inner and outer-gaskets fitted in the seating grooves, screening material bearing against said flange and fitted into one of the seating grooves, and a perforated closure head detachably engaging the interior threads of the flange and provided with a lateral lip adapted to engage the adjacent screens for clamping said screens against the flange.

19. A filling head for feeding comminuted material into containers comprising a body portion having independent compartments opening through the bottom thereof and provided with a centrally disposed interlorly threaded flange,

screening material extending across said compartments, a closure head detachably engaging the threads on the flange and provided with a lateral lip for holding the screening material against said flange, and a resilient diaphragm extending across the closure head and having a slit formed therein, the walls of which are normally in contact with each other.

20. The method of filling containers with com-- minuted material which consists in placing an empty container in position to receive the material from a filling head, moving the container into -air-tight engagement with said head, successively creating a vacuum and admitting air at atmospheric pressure to one side of the head and then to another side thereof to deposit the material in different portions of the container and progressively fill said container, and subsequently moving the container out of engagement with said head. 7 CLARENCE F. CARTER... 

